Improved mode for cutting soles for boots and shoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. H. VALKER, OF TVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED MODE FOR CUTTING SOLES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,572, dated August 22, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, J. H. WALKER, of the city and county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Mode ofCutting Soles for Boots and Shoes from Whole Sides of Leather; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- The drawings upon Sheet l represent the position of the soles as respects each other when eut according to my plan, and the drawings upon Sheet 2 represent the position of the soles as respects each other when cut according to the old inode.

On Sheet 2 is represented the soles, which have usually been cut from strips wide enough to form the length of a sole. The mode of operation was to iirst cut the side into strips, and then cut up the strips by dies into soles, the die being reversed after each sole was cut. For instance, suppose the die was applied and No. l, Sheet 2, cut, the die was then reversed and No. 2 cut, and so on until strip A was cut up into eight soles. The operation would then be repeated as to the other strips, B and C, and so ou. The same plan has heretofore been adopted even when attempting to cut soles from the side. marked oft' with a straight-edge and creaser, and the soles cut in a similar manner as when the side was cut into strips.

It will be seen that by this mode of cutting a waste of leather is made which is equal to the pieces a and b, and as this waste is from the best partof the hide, to save such waste is an important matter. Having been for years extensively engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes, the question as to how I could prevent such waste has often been considered, and I have made extensive expert ments to attain that object. After years of study and experiment I have at last succeeded in overcoming the difficulties, so as to make an actual saving of from three to live per cent. upon the whole leather cut up. I abandon cutting the leather into strips entirely, and cut the soles from a whole side laid upon a proper table.

The mode of operation is as follows: The operator takes his die and cuts from the side soleNo.1,Sheet1. Hethenreversesthedieand The side has usually been.

then reversed and placed. so that its edge will.

touch the points 4, 5, and 6 of No. 2, when No. 3 is cut, and so on till the entire width of the side has been cut up into soles.

By this mode of cutting it will be seen that nearly all the leather which was wasted between the soles by the old mode is saved, and in addition thereto about onethird is saved between the ends of the soles, which entire saving I have found by actual test to amount in the aggregate to nearly tive per cent of the whole amount of leather cut up.

After having discovered the above mode of cutting leather from the side, I still found a difficulty in carrying it out successfully, owing to the fact that the most skillful cutter could not apply thedie to cut the first sole (No.10) of the second series in such exact and proper position as would enable the series to be cut through without either running to the right or left, and thus disarrange the cutting. I found that this difficulty could be successfully overcome by simply placing a common pattern-sole upon the inside of the die and bringing the heel of the pattern-s0le to touch the line at e and the toe of the die the line atf, and so that both would in addition touch each other at the three points g, h, and t', when the sole No. l() could be cut, after which all the others would follow with exactness, the only thing required being that the die should he so placed that it would touch the points e, g, h, and t' in cutting sole No.1l and the points 7,8, 9, and lO in cutting No. l2, and so on until the second series was cut. The third and all subsequent series are cut in the same manner as the second series.

Another great advantage resulting from my invention is that the operator can commence in the middle of the side and cut both ways, and hence can-take up the swell which is found in the middle of all sides of leather. For instance, suppose that instead of commencing with No. l0 the operator had desired to com-V mence in the middle, he would have placed his die upon No.14 and his pattern-sole on No. 15. Then by bringing the heel of the pattern-sole to touch the line 7c and the toe of the die to touch the line Z, and in addition thereto so that the pattern-sole and die would touch each other at the points m, n, and o, hefcould have cut sole No. 14, and after that he could have cut either way by observing the directions heretofore explained-that is, when he commenced to cut sole No. 13 he would have to place his die sothatitwould touch or be even with the points 11, 22, 13, and 14,whi1e, when he' commenced to cuttheother Way,incuttingsoleNo.15 thcdie would have to be so placed that it would touch or be even with the points or lines at 7c, m, n, and o.

By my improved mode it does not require skillful cutters, since the manner of operation is such that nothing* is left to the discretion 0r skillof'the cutter. -He is simply informed hoW to place his die, and proceeds without' further trouble to cut up the side into soles of the exact size required, and With but little Waste of material as compared with the old mode.

The size of the soles is the same upon vboth sheets of drawings, and by measuring up from the red dotted lines on both sheets it will be seen that the amount ot' saving in cutting even eight soles by my improved mode is quite apparent.

In cutting up leather from the side I nd it best to commence at the butt-end and cut the first series as near the end 4as possible.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 

